Display devices and mounting means therefor



A. H. WENDE 3,220,125

DISPLAY DEVICES AND MOUNTING MEANS THEREFOR Nov. 30, 1965 Filed May 14, 1962 INVENTOR.

ADOLPH H. WEN DE United States Patent 3,220,125 7 DISPLAY DEVICES AND MOUNTING MEANS THEREFOR Adolph H. Wende, University City, Mo., assignor to Shure Manufacturing Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed May 14, 1962, Ser. No. 194,566 3 Claims. (Cl. 40 -16) This invention relates in genenalto certain new and useful improvements in display devices and,- more particularly, to an improved price-tag molding for use with shelving to display price-tags and similar small cards.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide price-tag molding which can be easily and conveniently attached to shelving, display racks, or other similar structures.

It is another object of the present invention to provide price-tag molding of the type stated which is capable of being attached to various kinds of shelving, display racks, and the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to providea clip-for rapidlyand efficiently attaching price-tag iriolding to shelving, display racks, display tables, and the It is an additional object of the present invention to provide price-tagmolding ofthe type stated which is capable of being mass-produced at a relatively low cost.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing (one sheet) FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a display device constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention and being attached to a suitable supporting structure;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clip used to attach the display device of FIG. 1 to '3, suitable supporting structure; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary exploded view showing the method of attachment of the display device to a suitable supporting structure.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates pricetag molding preferably formed of aluminum or other light-weight metal and integrally comprising a relatively thin vertical wall 1 which merges at its upper end into an enlarged head 2 having a relatively flat top wall 3 and, at its lower end, into an enlarged base 4 having a relatively flat bottom wall 5. The enlarged head 2 is integrally provided with 8. depending flange 6 and the enlarged base 4 is provided with an upstanding flange 7 in vertical alignment with the flange 6, both of which are spaced from the flat vertical wall 1 and form an elongated groove 8. The flanges 6, 7, are further provided with rearwardly presented abutment surfaces 9, 10, respectively, which are adapted to abut the forwardly presented vertical face 1 of a shelf S, or similar structure. The enlarged head 2 and the enlarged base 4 are also integrally provided with rearwardly extending guide flanges 11, 12 (reference being made to FIG. 1), which engage the upper and lower surfaces of the shelf S when the display device A is secured thereto in the manner as shown in FIG. 1.

The forwardly presented surface of the vertical wall 3,220,125 Patented Nov. so, 1965 1 is provided for its' entire length with a dovetail groove 13 opening at each of the transverse ends of the wall 1 and which is sized to accommodate price-tags or similar literature display items. The forwardly presented sur face of the wall 1 within the area defined by the dovetail a relieved area in'back'of the price-tag T, so that the price-tag T can be easily gripped at the center of its opposite side margins and pulled forwardly out of the slots 17, 18.

Provided for slidable disposition within the elongated groove 8 is a retainer spring or clip 21 having two spaced vertical legs 22, 23, which are connected at their upper margins by a transversely extending upper leg 24. The vertical legs 22, 23-, integrally merge into inwardly extending bottom legs 25, 26, the latter of which merge into intermediate vertical legs 27, 28, respectively, and which extend upwardly for approximately half the distance ofthe vertical legs 22, 23. Each of the legs 27, 28, is integrally formed with laterally projecting somewhat V-shaped arms 29, 30, which are connected at their rearward ends by a bight portion 31. The V-shaped arms 29,v 30, have apices 32, 33, which are spaced from eachother. The clip 21 can preferably be formed with a relatively small diameter wire material so that the V-shaped arms 29, 30, will be partially resilient and will contract when being inserted through an aperture, such as the aperture 34 formed in the face 1 of the shelf S, and will spring back to their normal position when they have passed through the aperture 34. When in the attached position, the resilient V-shaped arms 29, 30, will engage the peripheral wall of the aperture 34.

In use, the clip 21 is inserted in the elongated groove 8 from either of the tnausverse ends thereof until they are in approximate alignment with each of the apertures 34 formed in the forwardly presented surface 1. The V-shaped arms 29, 30, are then inserted in each of the apertures 34 in order to rigidly clamp the display device A to the shelf S. It is to be noted that as the apices 32, 33, of the arms 29, 30, have .a larger transverse distance than the diameter of the aperture 34, they will squeeze together while passing through the aperture 34 and, when on the other side of the vertical wall of the shelf S, will expand to their normal position, thus holding the display device A in a rigid position on the shelf S. In this connection, it should be noted that the flanges 11, 12, are adapted to snugly engage the upwardly presented surface and the under side, respectively, of the shelf S. Finally, a suitable price-tag T is inserted in the dovetail groove 13 so that the upper and lower margins of the tag T will engage the slots 17, 18, respectively, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. The forwardly extending ridges 15, 16, will abut the rearwardly presented face of the tag T, causing it to bow outwardly in a gentle arc. It is, of course, obvious that the tag T is sized so that it is freely slidable lengthwise of the groove 13 to any selected position therealong.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the display devices and mounting means therefor may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A price-tag molding for use with a shelf-like element having a forwardly presented substantially vertical face ofpredetermined width, which face is provided at spaced intervals with apertures, said price-tag molding comprising a member having first and second oppositely presented faces, said member also having enlarged beads formed along the upper and lower margins thereof, opposed projecting flanges formed on said beads, said flanges being spaced from each other by a distance greater than the predetermined width of the shelf-like element, said first face being centnally slotted and undercut for defining a first elongated slot bordered along its upper and lower margins with undercut and outwardly offset lips which are, in turn, provided with rearwardly presented coplanar abutment faces for facewise engagement against the outwardly presented vertical face of the shelflike element, said second face having a second elongated slot which is sized for accommodating price-tags, and a clip having laterally projecting fingers slidably disposed in said first elongated slot and being shiftable to any of a plurality of positions, said projecting fingers being disposed in angular relationship to each other and being adapted for flexure so as to be insertable through any one of the apertures in the vertical face of the shelf-like element, the angular relationship between said fingers, when unflexed, being such as to engage the margins of the aperture into which they are inserted and resiliently pull the molding toward the shelf-like member so that the abutment faces are snugly held thereagainst and at least one of the flanges projects over and rests upon a horizontal marginal portion of the shelf-like member.

2. A price-tag molding according to claim 1 in which the second elongated slot is provided with upper and lower inclined walls, and a pair of flanges formed with said member and being spaced from said inclined walls, so that the upper and lower ends of said first slot are inclined with respect to the remainder of the first slot, said first slot being sized to accommodate price-tags, and said inclined walls having a pair of ridges which engage the retarwardly presented surface of a price-tag inserted in the first slot so that said pnice-tag will be bowed outwardly.

3. A price-tag molding according to claim 1 in which the second elongated slot is provided with upper and lower inclined walls, a pair of flanges formed with said member and being spaced from said inclined walls, so that the upper and lower ends of said first slot are inclined with respect to the remainder of the first slot, said first slot being sized to accommodate price-tags, said inclined wlalls having a pair of ridges which engage the rearwardly presented surface of a pnice-tag inserted in the first slot so that said price-tag will be bowed outwardly, and a clip having laterally projecting fingers slidably disposed in said first elongated slot and being shiftable to any of a plurality of positions for securing said price-tag molding to a supporting device in any of a plurality of selected positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,398,782 11/1921 Hopp 40 16 1,739,057 12/1929 Bock 40-11 1,902,769 3/1933 Esdorn 40 16 1,915,116 6/1933 Barrett 40 16 2,057,588 10/1936 Place 24 73 X 2,117,571 5/1938 Place 18988X 2,215,428 9/1940 Place 24--73X 2,730,824 1/1956 Cohen 40 1.5

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PRICE-TAG MOLDING FOR USE WITH A SHELF-LIKE ELEMENT HAVING A FORWARDLY PRESENTED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL FACE OF PREDETERMINED WIDTH, WHICH FACE IS PROVIDED AT SPACED INTERVALS WITH APERTURES, SAID PRICE-TAG MOLDING COMPRISING A MEMBER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITELY PRESENTED FACES, SAID MEMBER ALSO HAVING ENLARGED BEADS FORMED ALONG THE UPPER AND LOWER MARGINS THEREOF, OPPOSED PROJECTING FLANGES FORMED ON SAID BEADS, AND FLANGES BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER BY A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE PREDETERMINED WIDTH OF THE SHELF-LIKE ELEMENT, SAID FIRST FACE BEING CENTRALLY SLOTTED AND UNDERCUT FOR DEFINING A FIRST ELONGATED SLOT BORDERED ALONG ITS UPPER AND LOWER MARGINS WITH UNDERCUT AND OUTWARDLY OFFSET LIPS WHICH ARE, IN TURN, PROVIDED REARWARDLY PRESENTED COPLANAR ABUTMENT FACES FOR FACEWIDE ENGAGEMENT AGAINST THE OUTWARDLY PRESENTED VERTICAL FACE OF THE SHELFLIKE ELEMENT, SAID SECOND FACE HAVING A SECOND ELONGATED SLOT WHICH IS SIZED FOR ACCOMODATING PRICE-TAGS, AND A CLIP HAVING LATERALLY PROJECTING FINGERS SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID FIRST ELONGATED SLOT AND BEING SHIFTABLE TO ANY OF A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS, SAID PROJECTING FINGERS BEING DISPOSED IN ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER AND BEING ADAPTED FOR FLEXURE SO AS TO BE INSERTABLE THROUGH ANY ONE OF THE APERTURES IN THE VERTICAL FACE OF THE SHELF-LIKE ELEMENT, THE ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID FINGERS, WHEN UNFLEXED, BEING SUCH AS TO ENGAGE THE MARGINS OF THE APERTURE INTO WHICH THEY ARE INSERTED AND RESILIENTLY PULL THE MOLDING TOWARD THE SHELF-LIKE MEMBER SO THAT THE ABUTMENT FACES ARE SNUGLY HELD THEREAGAINST AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE FLANGES PROJECTS OVER AND RESTS UPON A HORIZONTAL MARGINAL PORTION OF THE SHELF-LIKE MEMBER. 